Roof rail for vehicles and manufacturing process therefor

Details Roof rail for vehicles and manufacturing process therefor Roof rail for vehicles and manufacturing process therefor

2000-01-26

2001-06-26

Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)

Package and article carriers

Vehicle attached

Carrier associated with vehicle roof or trunk lid

Reexamination Certificate

active

06250528

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a roof rail for vehicles with a tubular gallery rod and rail feet, which are arranged at its ends, are supported on a vehicle's roof, are each designed as the same piece as the gallery rod, and consist of bent and flared end sections of the gallery rod. The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing such a roof rail.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A present day roof rail is shown in DE 42 23898 A1. This well-known roof rail does not adequately meet present day requirements for aerodynamic and stylistic design. The object of the invention is therefore to make available a roof rail which is more aerodynamically efficient and which is more stylistic and attractive in design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects are solved by a roof rail in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, a gallery rod thereof has a continuously increasing cross section proceeding from the transition region of one rail foot up to the transition region into the other rail foot or, when viewed from the other end, a continuously diminishing cross section. The roof rail in accordance with the invention is therefore particularly streamlined and also opens many design possibilities to the stylist, because the gallery rod can have any desired cross-sectional profile to begin with, and can be designed in styles such as a round, oval, or square tube.
Advantageously, the roof rail of the present invention can be manufactured by an expansion process. The roof rail of the present invention is also light in weight. The roof rail can also be solidly mounted on the roof of a vehicle and is inexpensive to manufacture.
The roof rail of the present invention can be manufactured particularly simply and economically. In one manufacturing method of the present invention, a tubular extruded member having a continuous trough-shaped bead is employed to form the gallery rod. The bead operates as an expansion fold, thereby providing a supplementary supply of material for expansion of the member during the forming process. Since the bead isn't necessarily completely formed in the region where the gallery rod's cross section is the narrowest, but is completely or partially preserved locally along the length of the roof rail, it is particularly practical to locate it in the region within the internal diameter of an arc portion thereof, because it will point downward when the roof rail is mounted on a vehicle and therefore be hidden from view.


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